Four Kawasaki Ki-48 'Lily' light bombers, two Mitsubishi Ki-46 'Dinah' reconnaissance aircraft, and a Nakajima Ki-43 'Oscar' fighter attacked the destroyers for roughly three hours, starting before the surface action had ended. Four unidentified Liberators appeared overhead and coordinated their machine-gun fire with the ships' anti-aircraft batteries until the attackers withdrew. The official records acknowledge the aircraft without identifying their unit, so a US Army Air Forces origin remains a cautious possibility. All three destroyers survived the prolonged attack and returned safely. Ile de Batz and Operation Irregular both show technology used with close attention to crew readiness and force organization. Jones's command decisions depended on knowing what each ship and crew could do against different surface and air threats.
Chapter · 30:45-34:27
Destroyers and Liberators coordinate under air attack
Jones's destroyers survived a three-hour Japanese air attack with help from four unidentified Liberators coordinating fire overhead.